Postage printer



RYAN ET AL POSTAGE PRINTER 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed April 29, 1940 mark yan

MIX

a m X mu M m R o v a n m m f m a 5 .amm 2 MQ C. D. RYAN ET AL Deca 16, W46.

POSTAGE PRINTER Original Filed April 29, 1940 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS m y Vmfi y m f M J v0 0 Fm /i 53% ea, 10, 194 6. c. D. RYAN ET AL 2,412,472

POSTAGE PRINTER Original Fiied April 29, 1940 5 Sheets-Sheet s INVENTORS Ennis B Sager Ernes 1i. Bergman: Commodore Dji an ATTORN 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTORS Frank BS0172) Einesi' fi Be-rylnar/c Co mmoofore ,DRZZ/j %N; 7

C. D. RYAN ET AL POSTAGE PRINTER Original Filed April 29, 1940 C. D. RYAN ETAL Dec. 10, 1946.

POSTAGE PRINTER Original Filed April 29, 1940 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 0 0 8 w 7 m oO /m 4 m WM 2 w m u; 6 W 2 1 6 0 I w x 0 1| 3 L w 7 9 5 x 1 1 Mu. n

mm In Ryan md p /m o .5? vu m h m E id fl wnf A -iwm 7% v wmm,

Patented Dec. 10, 1946 POSTAGE PRINTER Commodore D. Ryan, Los Angeles, Frank P. Sager, Alhambra, and Ernest R. Bergmark, Los Angeles, Calif., assignors to Commercial Controls Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Griginal application April 29, 1940, Serial No. 332,305. Divided and this application August 13, 1942, Serial No. 454,686

5 Claims.

This invention relates to an indicia printing mechanism adapted for use in the printing drum of a postage value printing and recording meter or the like.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide an indicia printing mechanism for a postage meter or the like which is simple and sturdy in construction and durable under rigorous use. Another object is to provide a printing mechanism of the above character which is compact but yet readily accessible for adjustment and setting operations when installed on the postage meter. Another object is to provide a printing mechanism of the above nature characterized by different types of indicia movable to and from printing register at will to effect the printing of postage values of different types. Other objects will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangements of parts as will be exemplified in the structure to be hereinafter described, and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the following claims.

This application is a division of Patent No. 2,371,070, issued to Frank P. Sager et al., on March 9, 1945.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a mail treating machine having installed therein a postage meter equipped with our indicia printing mechamsm;

Figure 2 is a secttional view taken substantially along the line 2-2 of Figure 12, and shows the type bar for printing Sec. 562 P. L. 8: R. on third class matter in printing position;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2, but showing the type bar withdrawn from printing position;

Figure 4 illustrates the face portion of the type bar shown in Figures 2 and 3;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along the line 5-5 of Figure 2;

Figure 6 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale, taken substantially along the line 6-6 of Figure 12;

Figure '7 is a left side elevation of the town cycle and date wheel assembly as it would appear when removed from the printing drum;

Figure 8 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 88 of Figure 7;

Figure 9 is a right-hand elevation of the town cycle and date wheel assembly as it would. appear when. removed from the printing drum;

Figure 10' is a fragmentary sectional View taken substantially along the line IBlfl of Figure 6;

Figure 11 is a developed view of the type faces of the date printing wheels;

Figure 12 is a fragmentary sectional View taken substantially along the line l2l2 of Figure 14:;

Figure 13 is a view taken substantially along the line 13-!3 of Figure 14 to show the various manually operable printing indicia adjusting levers;

Figure 14 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional Viewv taken substantially along the line I i-14 of Figure 13; c

Figure 15 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along the line l5-l5 of Figure 12;

Figure 16 is a fragmentary sectional view taken I substantially along the line |6i6 of Figure '15; and,

Figure 1''! is a perspective view of the underside of the advertising slogan printing plate.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the various views of the drawings. a

The printing drum housing door 682 is arranged when opened to expose only the town circle 48, date and slogan 9'! printing dies.

The town circle is carried by a primary frame l3 (Figure 6) which is slidably mounted in the printing drum opening 3l2 and the date printing wheels are mounted in a secondary frame it (Figure 9) which is slidably mounted withinthe primary frame I3. Adjusting means l5 (Figure 6) is provided for moving the secondary frame relative to said primary frame and a second adjusting means 18 is provided to position the primary and secondary frames as a unit relative to the printing drum 332.

The primary frame I 3 includes two U shaped frame members I! and I8 (Figures '7 and 9) maintained in spaced relation by a pair of blocks l9 and 20, said blocks being positioned at the lower corners of said, U shaped frame members and securely fastened'thereto by means of rivets 2!,whilethe upper ends of the two frame members areofastened to the town circle supporting block 22 (Figure 6) by means of screws 23. structure forms a more or less rectangular frame in which is slidably mounted the secondary frame Hi. The secondary frame includes two substantially L shaped frame members 24 and 25 (Figure 12). These L shaped frame members are arranged so that their horizontally extending portions are interconnected by means of a tongue 26 formed on the frame member 25 and a groove This 2'! in the frame member 24 to thereby form a substantially U shaped frame. The upwardly extending portions of each of said L shaped members 24 and 25 are provided with guideways 28 (Figures '7 and 9) for slidably engaging the vertically extending arms of the U shaped frame members H and I8. The lower end of the secondary frame is in the form of a substantially rectangular block 29 (Figures 6 and '7) machined to slidably fit into the rectangular opening formed in the lower end of the primary frame between its two side plates and end blocks.

The date printing wheels are mounted between the vertically extending portions 30 and 3! of the secondary frame by means of a flanged shaft 32. The flange 33 (Figure 12) 'of said shaft is seated in counterbore 34 formed in the inner face of the vertical portion 30 of the secondary frame member and locked against rotation by means of dowel pin 35 (Figure 7) while the ends of said shaft are mounted in suitable bores formed in the secondary frame portions 30 and 3| (Figure 9). The date circle printing wheel supporting shaft 32 between the secondary frame portions 39 and 3| is provided with three eccentric steps of different diameter. The eccentricity of these steps generally follows the circumference of the printing drum.

As may be observed in Figure 12, the date printing Wheel shaft 32 isv mounted within the printing drum considerably above and to one side of its center of rotation and therefore, it is desirable to provide this shaft with three eccentric bearing surfaces of different diameter to permit the use of date printing wheels of more nearly the same overall diameter.

The smaller of the three eccentric bearing surfaces 36 supports a printin wheel 31, having the months of the year engraved thereon. J ournaled upon the second eccentric bearing surface 38 are two date printing wheels 39 and Gil which may be adjusted to print the days of the month, and journaled upon the third eccentric bearing surface M are two printing wheels 42 and 43 for printing the last two figures of the year.

Each of the printing wheels just referred to is provided with a detent mechanism for yieldingly maintaining its respective wheel in a selected printing position. As the detent mechanism for each of the printing wheels is identical, the detent mechanism for the months of the year printing wheel will be described. By reference to Figure 12 it may be observed that the months of the year printing wheel 39 is provided with detent notches 4.4, one for each printing face of said wheel. A detent ball 45 is yieldingly maintained in engagement with one of said notches by compression spring 46. The spring and ball are mounted within a suitable bore 41 drilled into shaft 32 in the manner shown, and the entrance to the hole is peened over slightly to retain the ball within said bore. The'detent will permit the printing wheel to be easily turned from one position to another and yet will maintain the wheel in any one of its selected printing positions, thereby preventing displacement thereof during the printing operation.

A town circle printing die 38 (Figure 9) is securely fastened to the end surface of block 22 by means of screws 49. This die is provided with a pair of concentric circles between which the post office location is engraved. The town circle printing die is provided with a suitable openin 59 through which the peripheral printing faces of the date printing wheels ma be positioned no u to simultaneously print the date along with the printing of the town circle. As may be observed in Figures 6, 9 and 12', the printing surface of the town circle die 48 has a curvature coincidental with the circumference of the printing "drum. The type faces of the date printing wheels are of a suitable arcuate contour in a transverse plane so that when turned into printing position, the said arcuate contour will likewise coincide with the periphery of the printing drum.

When the machine is to be operated for treating second and third class mail matter, it is necessary to render the date printing wheels inoperative to print the date within the town circle and for this purpose the printing wheels are mounted within the secondary frame 14 (Figures 9 and 12) and may be retracted relative to the primary frame l3 by any suitable means, as for example, by an eccentric shaft 5! (Figure 6) journaled in bearings 52 and 53 carried by the end blocks 19 and 20 respectively of the primary frame. The eccentric shaft is maintained against longitudinal displacement by means of an annular groove 54 and a key pin 55. The portion of the shaft intermediate the primary frame end blocks is provided with an eccentric portion 56 which eccentric portion extends through the secondary frame groove 21. The eccentric portion 56 closely fits within said groove so that as the shaft is rotated, for example, in a clockwise direction as viewed in Figure 12, the eccentric portion will engage the lower surface of groove 2! and as a result will force the secondary frame downwardly with respect to the primary frame. This downward movement of the secondary frame will retract the printing wheels to their non-printing positions.

For convenience in operating the eccentric shaft 5|, it is provided at its forward end with an operating key 5]. Means are provided for yieldingly maintaining the eccentric shaft in either one of its two extreme operating positions, namely when the date wheels are in position for printing or retracted to their non-printing positions, which detent means may include providing the portion of the eccentric shaft which extends through bearing 52 with two spaced detent notches 58 (Figure 10) and yieldingly urging a detent ball 59 into engagement with one or the other of said notches. The ball and its compression spring 60 are mounted within a suitable bore 6| drilled through the side of end block i9. The ball is prevented from displacement from the bore by peening the inner end of said bore sufficiently to prevent the passage of the ball therefrom, while the spring (50 is maintained within said bore by engaging the ball at one end and at its opposite end engaging the frame mem ber 18.

Through the above described mechanism, the date printing wheels may be easily and quickly moved to or from their printing position with relation to the town circle. When the machine is to treat mail matter which is to be registered, the Post Offic Department requires the printing of the stamp without either the town circle or date being printed upon said matter, therefore, the primary frame l3 which carries the town circle is mounted within the printing drum in such a manner that it may bemoved into a printing position orreadily retracted into a nonprinting position and for this purpose each of the end blocks l9 and 2E] is provided with a guide lug 5 2 and 53 (Figure 7) and the town circle supporting block is provided with lugs 64 and 65 (Figure 6) which are aligned with the guide lugs carried by the two end blocks and'these guide lugs are slidably mounted in suitable guideways BB and 61 formed in the printing drum cap 316 and the main body of the printing drum respectively.

Means are provided for moving the primary frame I3 .to position the town circle printing die carried thereby either in printing or non-printing positions, which means may include providing the frame member 31 (Figure 7) with a downwardly extending rack 68 which rack may be formed as an integral part of the frame, as shown in the drawings, by providing the lower portion of said frame with a channeled extension having rack teeth cut into the flanges thereof. The frame rack 68 (Figure 12) extends down into a suitable opening 89 formed in said drum and meshes with pinion teeth 10 cut in the adjusting shaft H (Figure 14). The adjusting shaft 1| is journaled in the aligned bores 12 and 13 in the cap SIG and the printing drum respectively. The forward end of shaft II is provided with a shank I4 which extends into the cap 316 and has secured thereto a crank arm lb. The free end of the crank arm 75 is provided with bushing 15, as clearly shown in Figure 14. A locating pin l1 extends through said bushing and is provided at the outer end with a knob 13. A spring 19 is mounted within a suitable counterbore formed in said bushing and acts between the bushing and a shoulder formed on said pin to yieldingly urge the end of said pin into either one of two positioning holes 39 drilled into the side face of the drum cap 316.

When .the town circle printing die is to be moved from its printing to its non-printing position, the knob 18 will be pulled outwardly to free the end of the positioning plunger 11 from its positioning hole and thereafter swinging said crank arm until its pin engages the other of the two positioning holes 8t. This movement of the crank arm will turn the pinion shaft 1! and through its engagement with the primary frame rack 68, will either move the town circle printing die to its printing position or will retract it into its non-printing position.

The town circle frame 13 (Figure 9) may be moved without requiring adjustment of the printing wheel frame it with respect thereto. In other words, these two frames may be moved as a unit whether the date printing mechanism is in its printing or non-printing positions with respect to the town circle printing frame. In this way, if the town circle and date printing device are both in printing position, they may be simultaneously moved to their non-printing position through the town circle adjusting means l6.

For third class mail, it is necessary to print along with the printing of the stamp the following notation, Section 562 P. L. & R., andfor this purpose, a die 8! bearing the inscription Section 562 P. L. and R. (Figure 4) is mounted within the printing drum opening 3l2 (Figure 3) directly in advance of the stamp printing assembly by means of pivot pin 82. The die block 8| is provided with a forwardly extending handle 83 which passes through a suitable slot 84 formed in the printing drum cap 3% and is yieldingly urged downwardly as viewed in Figure 3, by means of compression spring 85, which spring is mounted within groove 86 formed in the front dle 83. The spring is retained in operative position by means of plate 81, securely fastened to the front face of the printing drum cap by means of screws 88. This plate not only confines spring 85, but extends along the side of slot 8 to act as a guide for the die block handle 83 (Figure 13). A latch bar 89 slidably extends into the printing drum through slot 34 and is supported at its forward end by an offset portion of plate 61 and at its rear end by ledge 90a formedin the side wall of the drum opening 3I2 (Figures 2 and 12) and is slidably retained on these supporting portions by spaced stop pins 9| which cooperate with the upper edge of said latch bar. The latch bar is provided with lug 92 cooperating with the stop pins 9! to limit the in and out travel of said latch bar. A compression spring 93 is provided for yieldingly urging said bar to its out position as shown in Figure 2. The spring is mounted within a suitable bore formed adjacent the cap slot 84 and acts between the inner end of said bore and a right angled portion 90 of said latch bar. The innermost end of latch bar 89 is provided with a supporting finger 94 which cooperates with a corresponding finger 95' formed on said die block 8! to maintain the die block in its printing position. When it is desired to retract die block 8!, the operator need only to push the latch bar 89 inwardly until its stop finger 94 rides from under the finger 95 of the die block, thereby removing the support of the die block whereupon its spring 85 will act to swing said block from its printing position as shown in Figure 2 to its non-printing position as shown in Figure 3. The die block spring 85 is of sufficient strength to maintain the die block in its non-printing position during the high speed rotation of the printing drum. When the die block is to be returned to its printing position, the operator need only lift the die block handle 85 to swing the die into its printing position at which point the latch bar 89 will, under the influence of its spring 83, return into latching relation with said die block to positively maintain the die in its printing position. This device provides a simple and convenient means by which the P. L. & R. die block may be moved to or from its printing position.

As previously pointed out, an advertising slogan may be printed simultaneously with the printing of any one of the above referred to classes of mail matter. The advertising slogan may be printed just as readily upon mail matter or gummed tape, The means for printing the advertising slogan may include a die block 95 (Figures 12, 15. 16 and 1'7) to which an appropriately engraved slogan printing plate 9'! (Figure 15) may be removably secured by means of screws 88. In this way plates bearing different advertising slogans may be readily mounted upon block 96. The die block 95 is removably mounted in the printing drum by providing along the inner edge of said block two spaced ball headed pins 99 engaging sockets 80G suitably carried by the main portion of printing drum and by providing the outer edge of said die block with two depending lugs 86! and 802. Lug Bill is provided with a locating hole 883 while lug 892 is provided with a locating notch .8Mwhich notch engages the end oflocating pin .865 securely fastenedin the cap portion 3 I 6 of the printing drum, while the locating hole 893 is engaged by the end of locating and locking pin 806. This pin extends through a suitable hole drilled through the cap portion of the printing drum and said hole is ccunterbored to receive a compression spring 801 acting between the end of the counterbore and head 838 formed upon the inner end of said pin whereby the point of said pin is maintained in locking engagement with the lug hole 803. The forward end of pin 886 is provided with knob 839 by means of which the pin may be withdrawn from engagement with the locating and locking hole B93 whereupon the die block may be lifted from the printing drum.

To facilitate removal of die block 95 from the printing drum a spring means is provided to raise the die block upon withdrawal of locking pin 808 from engagement with the hole 8% to enable the operator to take hold of the die block and remove same from the printing drum. As shown in Figures 15, 16 and 17, the die block is provided with a pin 8!!) positioned to extend downwardly into a spring bore 8!! (Figure 16) drilled into the main portion of the printing drum. A compression spring 812 is mounted within bore 8 H and is arranged to be compressed by pin MEI when the die block is positioned on said drum and to swing the plate upwardly on its ball and socket connection 938fil when the locking pin 896 is actuated to release the plate in the manner previously described.

From the above description, it will be appreciated that all of the adjustments of the printing drum, namely the positioning of the town circle date printing dies, P. L. & R. die and advertising slogan die may be performed without the need of special tools excepting that in order to rotate the date wheels to set the proper date for printing, a simple stylus may be employed. Attention is also directed to the fact that the town circle, date printing wheel, P. L. & R. die and advertising slogan die block releasing or control means are all mounted upon the forward end of the printing drum, and therefore, it is desirable to provide the printing drum housing 989 with a door 813 (Figure 1) having a conventional spring latch to yiel'dingly maintain the door in its closed position and said door is provided with a knob 854 b means of which it may be conveniently opened.

As many possible embodiments may be made of the above invention and as many changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter hereinbefore set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

We claim:

1. In printing mechanism of the character described, in combination, a printing drum, a printing wheel shaft mounted in said drum substantially at right angles to the axis of rotation of said drum, said printing wheel shaft having a plurality of bearing surfaces formed thereon eccentrically positioned with respect to each other, the position of the portions of said bearing surfaces nearest the cylindrical surface of said drum being on an are which substantially follows the curvature of the circumference of said drum and a plurality of printing wheels rotatably mounted on said bearing surfaces, the printing surfaces of said wheels following the curvature of the circumference of said drum.

2. In printing mechanism of the character described, in combination, a printing drum, a

printing wheel shaft mounted in said drum substantially at right angles to the axis of rotation of said drum, said printing wheel shaft having three or more bearing surfaces formed thereon eccentrically positioned with respect to each other, said bearing surfaces being positioned next to each other and forming a series of steps the outer edges of which follow the curvature of the circumference of said drum, and a series of printing wheels rotatably mounted on said hearing surfaces, the printing surfaces of said wheels following the curvature of the circumference of said drum.

3. In printing mechanism of the character described, in combination, a printing drum, a shaft mounted in said drum, said shaft being positioned in a plane extending radially through the axis of rotation of said drum, said shaft having series of bearing surfaces formed thereon eccentricall positioned with respect to each other, the position of the portions of said bearing surfaces nearest the cylindrical surface of said drum being on an are which substantially follows the curvature of the circumference of said drum and a series of date printing wheels rotatably mounted on said bearing surfaces, the printing surfaces of said wheels following the curvature of the circumference of said drum.

4. In printing mechanism of the character described, in combination, a rotatable printing drum, a major frame mounted in ,said drum for movement to or from printing position, a shaft mounted on said frame substantially at right angles to the axis of rotation of said drum, said shaft having a series of bearing surfaces formed thereon eccentrically positioned with respect to each other, the position of the portions of said bearing surfaces nearest the cylindrical surface of said drum being on an arc which substantially follows the curvature of the circumference of said drum, a series of printing wheels rotatably mounted on said bearing surfaces, the printing surfaces of said wheels following the curvature of the circumference of said drum, and means for moving said major frame to or from printing position.

5. In printing mechanism of the character described, in combination, a rotatable printing drum, a major frame mounted in said drum for movement to or from printing position, a printing face carried by said frame, manually operable control means for moving said frame to or from its printing position, a secondary frame slidably mounted on said major frame, whereby said secondary frame may be moved with respect to said major frame, date printing type carried by said secondary frame, a shaft rotatably mounted on said major frame, said shaft including an eccentric portion positioned in a bore in said secondary frame, the eccentric portion of said shaft coacting with said bore to move said secondary frame with respect to said major frame when said shaft is rotated and control means separate from said first mentioned control means for turning said shaft to adjust the position of said secondary frame with respect to said primary frame.

COMMODORE D. RYAN. FRANK P. SAGER. ERNEST R. BERGMARK. 

